Treatment for reducing inflammation

Abstract

A method of treating endometriosis in a person by reducing a cytokine MCP-1 related activity level of an endometriosis implant in said person by 50% or more while not affecting a corresponding TNF-α related activity level by more than 30% comprises providing a pharmaceutical composition comprising a local anaesthetic, in particular lidocaine hydrochloride, and a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier, administering the composition intraperitoneally to said person, thereby substantially reducing the recruitment of macrophages by MCP-1 released from the endometriosis implant. Also disclosed is a corresponding pharmaceutical composition.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A method of treating endometriosis in a person suffering from inflammation due to endometriosis and having an endometriosis implant, by reducing a cytokine MCP-1 related activity level of the endometriosis implant in said person by 70% or more while not affecting a corresponding TNF-α related activity level by more than 20%, comprising intraperitoneally administering a pharmaceutical composition comprising lidocaine hydrochloride and a pharmaceutically acceptable aqueous balanced salt solution to said person, wherein the pharmaceutical composition is administered by injection or infusion into the peritoneal cavity and wherein the pharmaceutical composition comprises from 0.8 mg/ml to 2.5 mg/ml of lidocaine hydrochloride and is administered into the peritoneal cavity in an amount of from 5 ml to 20 ml. 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the pharmaceutical composition comprises about 1.0 mg/ml of lidocaine hydrochloride and is administered into the peritoneal cavity in an amount of from 5 ml to 20 ml. 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 1 , wherein pharmaceutical composition comprises about 1.0 mg/ml of lidocaine hydrochloride and is administered into the peritoneal cavity in an amount of about 10 ml. 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 1 , wherein administration is by injection into the peritoneal cavity by means of a syringe. 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 1 , wherein administration is by infusion into the peritoneal cavity by means of a catheter. 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the pharmaceutically acceptable aqueous balanced salt solution is Ringer's solution. 
     
     
       7. A method of treating endometriosis in a person suffering from inflammation due to endometriosis and having an endometriosis implant, comprising intraperitoneally administering a pharmaceutical composition comprising lidocaine hydrochloride and Ringer's solution to said person, wherein the pharmaceutical composition is administered by injection or infusion into the peritoneal cavity and wherein the pharmaceutical composition comprises about 1.0 mg/ml of lidocaine hydrochloride and is administered into the peritoneal cavity in an amount of from 5 ml to 20 ml. 
     
     
       8. The method of  claim 7 , wherein the amount of lidocaine hydrochloride administered into the peritoneal cavity is about 1.0 mg/ml in a volume of about 10 ml of an aqueous carrier. 
     
     
       9. The method of  claim 7 , wherein administration is by injection into the peritoneal cavity by means of a syringe. 
     
     
       10. The method of  claim 7 , wherein administration is by infusion into the peritoneal cavity by means of a catheter. 
     
     
       11. A method of treating endometriosis in a person suffering from inflammation due to endometriosis and having an endometriosis implant, comprising intraperitoneally administering a pharmaceutical composition comprising lidocaine hydrochloride and a pharmaceutically acceptable aqueous balanced salt solution to said person, wherein the pharmaceutical composition is administered by injection with a syringe or by infusion with a catheter into the peritoneal cavity and wherein the pharmaceutical composition comprises about 1.0 mg/ml of lidocaine hydrochloride and is administered into the peritoneal cavity in an amount of 10 ml. 
     
     
       12. The method of  claim 11 , wherein the pharmaceutically acceptable aqueous balanced salt solution is Ringer's solution.